Is St. Paul aware of the heavy burdens that many of you bear? How do you rejoice in the Lord when your work does not pay a wage sufficient to meet basic needs? How do you rejoice in the Lord always when you cannot guarantee sufficient food to feed your family? How can you rejoice in the Lord always when you or someone you love is very sick? How can you rejoice in the Lord when you have lost your job? How can you rejoice in the Lord when your child is addicted to drugs or alcohol? Is St. Paul naïve or foolish in giving us this rousing exhortation?
Remember that the life of St. Paul was anything but easy. His life was very hard. His missionary travels were very dangerous whether he traveled by sea or land. His proclamation of the Gospel could provoke a violent reaction. Paul was beaten on multiple occasions and spent time in jail as well. Paul’s mission to the Gentiles also provoked strong reactions from many of his fellow Christians. Yet, despite the real hardships that he endured, Paul could rejoice always in the Lord. Why? Because Paul had a living relationship with the Lord through a rich life of prayer. As a result, Paul knew that he was never alone. Christ walked with him at every step in his life. There was nothing that Paul encountered that was more powerful than the presence of Christ within him. Paul, therefore, could rejoice that the Lord was with him and that with the Lord’s presence Paul could be confident that he would emerge victorious from whatever hardship or suffering that he experienced.
The lesson for each of us is clear, but still not easy. To rejoice in the Lord always requires that we, too, have a rich life of prayer in which we are constantly strengthened in our confidence that Jesus walks with us in our lives. There is nothing that we face alone. Christ is with us. And if we remain faithful to him, he will lead us through the darkness into his own wonderful light.
Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J.